Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion at the Department for International Trade has visited Sci-Tech Daresbury, a campus based in the heart of the North West, internationally recognised for world-class science, innovation and enterprise.
Her visit follows the government’s announcement of its Export Strategy. Speaking to North West businesses including The Virtual Engineering Centre, she outlined the government’s long-term ambition to increase total exports as a proportion of GDP to 35%. The Minister set out how the government will support businesses across the Northern Powerhouse to maximize their exporting potential through better use of our overseas network, new online tools and building an extensive network of ‘export champions’, who can share best practice and advice.
The latest HMRC figures show exports of goods rose by 3.6% (to £28.8bn) in the North West during 2017, compared to the previous 12 months. The stats also show the North West has more than 13,000 exporters with an average value per exporter of £2.1m.
